On the 8th of July 2015, experts and officials responsible for livestock in the Member States of COMESA convened in Lusaka, Zambia and validated a comprehensive Regional Policy Framework. In doing so, they laid the foundations for a new era of cooperation in support of the Region’s livestock sector and the livelihoods of the 10th of millions of poor small holders, whose life is highly dependent on it.
The newly validated Framework, when ratified, will serve as a guide for all Member States and the Region to facilitate a secured access to basic production inputs, support a coordinated and harmonized control of Trans-boundary Animal Diseases (TADs), enhance intra and inter-Regional livestock and livestock products trade, and bolster livestock production, productivity and competitiveness in the Region to respond to the ever changing market conditions.
At the Regional level, the validation of this Framework securely anchored the livestock sector at the vanguard of COMESA progression towards a Free Trade Area.
AU-IBAR, in collaboration with COMESA, has been facilitating the development and validation process of the Framework over the past two years, through its VET-GOV Programme.